1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus that performs ink-jet facsimile printing. The invention further relates to an ink-jet facsimile printing method used by a facsimile apparatus.
2. Related Art
In the technical field to which the invention pertains, there is a facsimile apparatus that discharges ink onto a sheet of print target paper upon reception of facsimile data. Such a facsimile apparatus of the related art performs so-called ink-jet printing so as to output the received facsimile data. An example of the facsimile apparatus of the related art is described in JP-A-2001-245078.
Generally speaking, in a typical configuration of an ink-jet printing head, a large number of ink-discharging nozzles are arrayed as nozzle lines. In order to offer color-printing capability, a plurality of nozzles is arrayed for each of color components CMY, that is, cyan, magenta, and yellow, in addition to a plurality of nozzles that is arrayed for K, that is, black.
A typical ink-jet printing apparatus of the related art having the nozzle configuration described above is further provided with a cleaning mechanism that prevents the occurrence of poor discharging of ink from its nozzles. Upon reception of a command from a user for executing nozzle-cleaning operations, which is issued when the print head is not clean enough to output a print image of desired quality, the cleaning mechanism of the ink-jet printing apparatus of the related art performs the instructed nozzle cleaning so as to return the print head to a clean state, thereby ensuring good ink-discharging operations. Specifically, for example, the cleaning mechanism of the ink-jet printing apparatus of the related art wipes the nozzle surface of the print head by means of a wiping member thereof or performs “ink-flushing” operations, which is forcible discharging of ink drops from the nozzles, so as to clean the nozzles.
The facsimile apparatus described in JP-A-2001-245078 sometimes fail to print out received facsimile data in desired image quality. Specifically, it might receive facsimile data at the time when some nozzles of the print head thereof are not in a clean state so as to be able to output a print image of desired quality. If facsimile data is received at such a point in time, the facsimile apparatus described in JP-A-2001-245078 fails to print out the received facsimile data correctly or in desired image quality because ink is not discharged well during the execution of a printing job.